learning arabic through quran

2012 Courses of Islamic Studies — Learning Arabic Language through the Quran

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The Relation Between Quran and Arabic Language

I. What was the value of Arabic language during the ancient time?

Arabic language is the oldest language that has the same character,

letters, vocabulary strength, and roots from ancient time to today.

Arabic language has combined other small languages since the sixth

century.

Five prophets were sent to their tribes using the Arabic language:

Hud, Salih, Shuab, Ismail(Ishmael), and Muhammad (peace be upon

them all).

The language of Adam according to Quran was also Arabic, Chapter

2 Verse 31:

"And He taught Adam the names— all of them. Then He showed

them to the angels and said, „Inform Me of the names of these, if you

are truthful.‟" Allah mentioned this sentence in direct quotation in

Arabic language.

II. Why Quran was revealed in Arabic?

Allah says in Chapter 41 Verse 44:

"And if We had made it a non-Arabic Quran, they would have said,

„Why are the verses not explained in detail in our language? Is it a

foreign recitation and an Arab messenger?‟ Say, „It is a guidance

and cure for those who believe.‟ And those who do not believe— in

their ears is deafness, and it is upon them blindness. Those are

being called from a distant place."

Arab nation was a nation that expresses itself by language, and this

is why the language was more important than anything else in their

life. It was strong, big, fully completed with all the meanings and

phrases demanded for the communications.

Arabic language was the tool which carried the Arabic culture since

the old era until the approach of Islam, when Arabic became the

most important language in the Islamic world.


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III. What are the specialties of Arabic language?

The first specialty is that this language is protected forever from

being changed or extinct, and this is what Allah says in Chapter 15

Verse 9:

"Indeed, it is We who sent down the Quran and indeed, We will be

its guardian."

Arabic has all what is needed for a language to command in

grammar, rhetoric, syntax and morphology; it is flexible with various

forms in which a slight change can convey a completely different yet

more accurate meaning.

Arabs started to spread Islam in all over the world using the Arabic

language— the language of Quran. Consequently, the main

languages of many tribes and nations were changed from their

mother tongues into Arabic language in order to understand Quran

and follow the rules of Islam.

When many of the non-Arabs became Muslims, they learned Arabic

language and started to teach this language to others. Thus all of

their sciences were recorded in Arabic; in a period of time, Arabic

language was the biggest in the world.

According to Quran and Hadith, Arabic language is the language

that will be used on judgment day and in paradise as well. Why not?

And it is the language that Allah chose to be the language of His last,

protected, and eternal holly book—Quran.


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The Approaches of Reading, Understanding, and Memorizing Quran

I. The revelation of Quran

A. Muhammad in the cave

The prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) used to go to one cave in Mecca

and spend long time there. It was few years before the approaching of Islam, and

the name of that cave is Hiraa.

B. The reaction of Muhammad to the revelation

One day while the prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) was in the cave, one

angel came to him, hugged him tightly, and said, "Read!" But the prophet

Muhammad(peace be upon him) replied, "I can't read." The angel asked three times

and the prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) replied all the same, as he was

illiterate.

C. The first verses revealed

Therefore the angel[Gabriel] said, "Recite in the name of your Lord, who

created everything. He created man from a micro creature. Recite, and

remember your Lord is the most generous, who taught by the pen, taught man

what he knew not." (Quran, Chapter 96 Verses 1~5)

II. The characteristics of Quran

When people ask, “What is Quran? Is it poetry, prose or something else?” The

answer is that it is completely different from any literary genre or written form.

Quran is the words of Allah, revealed to His prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him)

via the archangel Gabriel(peace be upon him), to which nothing similar can be made

by anyone in the world.

It serves the purpose of worshiping, starting with the chapter of al-Fatihah and

ended by the chapter of al-Nas. Allah says in Chapter 17 Verse 88, "Say, „If all

mankind and jinn gather together in order to produce the like of this Quran, they

can never make anything alike, even if they assist each other.‟"

III. How to read Quran?

A. To read Quran, we should make ourselves ready for it. First, we should be

physically clean. Allah says in Chapter 56 Verses 77~80, "Indeed, it is a

noble Quran. It is registered, confirmed, and protected; no one should

touch it except the purified. It is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds."


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B. To read Quran, we should start by saying Âuthu Billahi Minashaytani

Arragim, which means "I‟m asking Allah to protect me from Satan, the devil

who‟s got stoned." Allah says in Chapter 16 Verse 98, "So when you recite

Quran, first seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the expelled from His mercy.”

C. When we read Quran, we should always remember that Quran is from

Allah and that He revealed it to His messenger to teach all of us how to

worship, live, depend on Him, and reach His satisfaction and paradise.

IV. How to understand Quran?

A. Academically

Learn Arabic > Study the reason of the revelation of each verse of Quran >

Study the explanation of Quran from Hadith and the books of explanation

B. Generally

To understand Quran, we need to have a clear mind, heart, and feeling, in

order to be able to feel Quran at the same time while we are reading.

We should feel that this Quran is revealed to us same as it was to the prophet

Muhammad(peace be upon him).

V. How to memorize Quran?

The first step to memorize Quran is to read with concentration, submission,

feeling, and faith.

We should keep in mind, while we are trying to memorize Quran, that this is

our manual for a perfect life now and the hereafter.

We should keep in mind that memorizing Quran means understanding and

following what we are memorizing. We should follow all the commands in Quran

and keep ourselves away from the things Allah forbids us.

We should ask Allah always to keep the Quran in our hearts, brains, and

actions in our daily life.

We should keep reading Quran and rememorizing it regularly all the time. The

prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) said, "The one who memorizes Quran by

heart is same as a person who has a camel. As long as he is taking care of this

camel and keep an eye on it, it will remain there; once he stops watching it, it will

run away."

We should recite more Quran during our prayers, so we will keep what we

memorize.


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Better read Quran from one book only. It is better to have your own Quran

and always recite from the same one. As the brain and the eyes will work on

keeping this shape, the memorization will be easier.

Better keep on listening to a clear recitation of Quran by a knowledgeable

Imam, so the ear will help as well in memorizing better and faster.

VI. Conclusion

If we listen to Quran, understand it well, use it in our daily life for everything,

and follow what is written on it whether we like it or not, we are following the

perfect method of living, because it is the method of our Creator, Allah.

And it is enough for us to know that following Quran and living according to it

will make us safe, happy, and peaceful in this life and the hereafter. Allah says in

Chapter 17 Verse 9, "Indeed, this Quran guides everyone to reach his best in this

life and gives good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will

have a great reward in the hereafter."


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The opening chapter of the Quran (al-Fatihah)

I. Introduction Al-Fatihah consists of seven verses. Our prayer will not be accepted if we don‟t recite Al-Fatihah in each Rakâāt. The meaning of Al-Fatihah is “the starter,” “the first step,” or “the opener.” Al-Fatihah also has other names such as “the mother of Qurān” and so on. If we understand, practice, feel, and work according to Al-Fatihah, we will find that life is only a station on the way to our terminal. Bismi Āllahi Ālraḧmani Ālraḧiym * Ālḧamdulilahi Rabbi Ālâālamiyn * Ālraḧmani Ālraḧiym * Maāliki Yawmi Ālddiyn * Īyaāka Naâbudu Wa Īyaāka Nastaîyn * Īhdinaā Ālŝiraāḏa Ālmustaqiym * Ŝiraāḏa Ālaṯhiyna Ānâmta Âlayhim * Gayri Ālmagḓuwbi Âlayhim Wala Ālḓḓaālliyn *

II. Bismi Āllahi Ālraḧmani Ālraḧiym

In the name of Āllah, the only mercy sender in this life no matter upon which nation, color, belief, or race, and the only mercy sender in the hereafter upon only those who believe in Him and follow His religion in this life. When we mention the name of Āllah before we start doing anything, this makes us remember: Āllah is watching us in everything we do, supporting us in all things we do, and He will accept and bless the things we are doing. We should understand that everything we do in this life should be under the intention that we are doing it totally for Āllah, not for any benefits in this life.

III. Ālḧamdulilahi Rabbi Ālâālamiyn We start the first step of asking by thanking Āllah, and we have to know we are thanking the one who is giving without asking for any reward, helping without waiting for any payment. Āllah says in one Hadith, “I created you all. You have to worship Me, and I have to provide you with the needs to live. If you don‟t obey or worship Me, I will not stop providing the needs for you to live.” Āllah has taught us in Al-Fatihah the way to thank Him; it is by saying Ālḧamdulilahi. This way of thanking is only for Āllah, so we mustn‟t use it towards anyone else but Him. Subsequently we praise Āllah for His being the lord of everything, the one who needs nothing from us, the most powerful controlling both inside and outside of the universe― Rabbi Ālâālamiyn. When we say this verse while praying, Āllah will reply us by saying, “My worshipper is thanking me the way I like.”

IV. Ālraḧmani Ālraḧiym Āllah is merciful because He is arranging all the needs to live even for those disbelieving in Him and those fighting against Him. This is why He is Ālraḧmani. He is Ālraḧmani because He clearly knows each single thing happening in the sky, heaven, earth, universe and everywhere and makes it in a perfect way for living, though some of His creatures insist on disbelieving in Him. He is Ālraḧiym because in the hereafter He is going to send His mercy upon believers, though they made mistakes during their lifetime. He is Ālraḧiym because


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He will forgive a lot of things in the hereafter only because He loves to see all of His creatures in the paradise unless they insist on going to hell. He is Ālraḧiym because He will not be satisfied when the mankind and the jinns disbelieve in Him but pleased when we all believe in Him and win His paradise. When we say this verse in praying, Āllah will say, “My worshipper is praising Me.”

V. Maāliki Yawmi Ālddiyn The fourth thing we should appreciate from Āllah is His being the only judge in the hereafter, the only master who knows and controls everything. As He is omniscient and omnipresent, no need for Him to consult anyone to know what happened in our lives. And as He is omnipotent, He is able to bring justice to everyone from anyone. When we say this verse while praying, Āllah will reply us by saying, “My worshipper is glorifying Me.”

VI. Īyaāka Naâbudu Wa Īyaāka Nastaîyn After thanking, we move to the second step of asking Āllah, which is reminding ourselves and telling Āllah that we are worshipping Him and Him only― Īyaāka Naâbudu, and that we are depending on Him and Him only― Wa Īyaāka Nastaîyn. Āllah says in one Hadith, “I am the best partner of the highest level. If you share My partnership with another, I will leave My share to the other and never accept any deeds with this kind of sharing.” We should work according to the commands of Āllah and obey Him totally. Then He will accept our deeds and arrange the best for us in this life, which will enable us to win the paradise in the hereafter. When we say this verse while praying, Āllah will reply us by saying, “This is between Me and My worshipper, and he will get what he is asking Me for.”

VII. Īhdinaā Ālŝiraāḏa Ālmustaqiym If we earn the real guidance from Āllah, we get everything we need in this life to win the eternal paradise in the hereafter. We have to make sure that all we should ask of Āllah in this life is His guiding us till we reach His paradise― Īhdinaā Ālŝiraāḏa Ālmustaqiym. If we know these few things, we will never ask for more than the guidance from Āllah to the straight way to paradise. When we say this verse while praying, Āllah will reply us by saying, “This is for My worshipper and he will get it.”

VIII. Ŝiraāḏa Ālaṯhiyna Ānâmta Âlayhim The straight way we‟ve been asking for is the way those who earned the real blessing from Āllah have chosen―Ŝiraāḏa Ālaṯhiyna Ānâmta Âlayhim. And we have to remember that the real blessing from Āllah is to gain His satisfaction with our deeds, which will definitely lead us to paradise.

IX. Gayri Ālmagḓuwbi Âlayhim Wala Ālḓḓaālliyn The other feature of this straight way is that it is absolutely not the way chosen by those who caused the anger of Āllah, nor by those who refused the guidance of Āllah while having it but going astray.


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Chapter 2 Verse 255: Ayat al-Kursi

ه إل هو الحي القيوم ـ ماوات وما في الرض ل تأخذه سنة ول نوم اللـه ل إل يشفع عنده إل من ذا الذي له ما في الس

ن علمه إل بما شاء يعلم ما بين أيديهم وما خلفهم بإذنه ماوات والرض ول يحيطون بشيء م ه الس ول وسع كرسي

.وهو العلي العظيم يئوده حفظهما

Āllahu Laā Īlaha Īllaā Huwa Ālḧayu Ālqayyuwm Laā taāĥuṯhuhu Sinaton Walaā

Nawm Llahu Maāfiy Ālssamaāwaāti Wamaāfiy Ālārḓi Man Ṯhaā Āllaṯhiy Yashfaû

Îndahu Yillaā Biïṯhnih Yaâlamu Ma Bayna Āydiyhim Wamaā Ĥalfahom Walaā

Yuḧiḏuwna Bishayän Min Îlmihi Īllaā Bimaā Shaāä Wasiâ Kursiiyuhu

Ālssamaāwaāti Wa Ālārḓi Walaā Yaüwduhu Ḧifṱhuhuma Wahuwa Ālâliyu

Ālâṱhiym

I. Introduction

This verse is the basic of the monotheism in Islam. It has over ten of the

names of Allah. The prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) mentioned a lot of

Hadith about the great value of this verse.

II. The meaning and understanding

Āllahu Laā Īlaha Īllaā Huwa Ālḧayu Ālqayyuwm

Allah is mentioning that He is the only real God, so he starts by saying, “No

God,” and then He said, “but Me.” It means that the only real God is Allah, and

that if anyone disagrees, this one should reject this fact and should go to Allah's

throne to complain. Allah says in Chapter 17 Verse 42, "Say, O Muhammad, „If

there have been with Him other Gods, as they say, then they would have gone to

the throne and taken it.‟"

Allah was never born and will never die and He is eternal.

Allah is here for us anytime, He is the one taking care of everyone and

everything, and He will never be away for any reason.

Laā taāĥuṯhuhu Sinaton Walaā Nawm

Allah never feels sleepy and never even feels He needs a nap. He is always

awake.


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Llahu Maāfiy Ālssamaāwaāti Wamaāfiy Ālārḓi

He is the owner of all what is on the earth, in the sky, and between them.

Man Ṯhaā Āllaṯhiy Yashfaû Îndahu Yillaā Biïṯhnih

Allah allows all His creatures to live in this life and gain according to their work

no matter they believe or disbelieve in Him. But on the judgment day, the

disbelievers will never be safe because they didn‟t believe in Allah during their

lifetime. And no one will be able to protect them there, nor will anyone be able to

ask the forgiveness of Allah for them, unless Allah allows this one to talk.

Yaâlamu Ma Bayna Āydiyhim Wamaā Ĥalfahom

Allah knows the past and the future, the present and the hidden things.

Walaā Yuḧiḏuwna Bishayän Min Îlmihi Īllaā Bimaā Shaāä

Allah knows everything, and all the knowledge we have here is only a small

part of His knowledge. All the knowledge we have been gaining is from Allah

since He is the one who is offering knowledge to everyone. This is why we

should always seek the knowledge from Allah only.

Wasiâ Kursiiyuhu Ālssamaāwaāti Wa Ālārḓi

The meaning of Kursi is “chair,” but when we are talking about the Kursi in this

verse, it means “Allah's ability, and power.”

Walaā Yaüwduhu Ḧifṱhuhuma Wahuwa Ālâliyu Ālâṱhiym

Allah is taking care of all the earth and all the sky; all what is between them,

under them, and above them will never make Allah tired, as He is the highest and

the greatest.

III. Conclusion

The God who deserves being worshipped must have this ability and must be

able to do all of these things. And Allah is telling us that He is the One, and no

one is able to challenge Him in any of these things.

It is fair enough to worship the God who possesses the things mentioned here

in this verse.

learning arabic through quran

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